The invention relates to a protective packing structure for a cylindrical object and fitted with an integrated fastener.
In order to protect the ends of a cylindrical object such as a pipe, a coil or the like when being shipped or stored, said end heretofore has been enclosed by an angled protector or a case affixed by a hoop.
Such a protective means which does not specifically match the diameter of the object to be protected and which while hooping must be kept in placed and must be handled simultaneously with its hooping means manifestly offers questionably efficacy and foremost hampers handling.
In some applications and as is known from the British patent 834,061, a cylindrical-object protective packing structure is known which comprises an integrated fastener and which assumes the shape of a collar hooping the object to be protected. This packing structure consists of a layer of wood chips, said layer being clad by a cloth, a wire being inserted between said layer of chips and the inside surface of said cloth.
In this embodiment, the tension in the wire should be maintained while the layer of chips expands and contracts. Obviously this technique also entails a multilayer composite of specific materials.
Therefore the inventors"" goal has been a practical and efficient means which matches homogeneous as well as inhomogeneous materials.
For that purpose the inventors conceived a protective packing structure for a cylindrical object, fitted with an integrated fastener and in the form of a collar retaining the said object but being characterized in that it is fitted at least over a large portion of its periphery with at least one at least partly closed housing to receive an retain at the collar the said fastener enclosing and clamping it.
Advantageously the fastener is a hoop or the like whereas the collar is a strip of which the length is selected in relation to the desired collar diameter and of which the ends are joined to one another.
Illustratively the collar-constituting strip is made of plastic and its ends are mutually fused together.
The collar""s housing may be away from the ends"" junction to keep these ends free.
In one embodiment mode, the housing retaining the fastener consists of a channel on the collar""s periphery, said channel comprising two lips partly closing it and the fastener being inserted between these lips.
The fastener""s retaining housing also may be in the form of an elongated cap on the collar periphery which is bent onto said fastener and is fused at its free tip, or said retention housing may be a closed space on or in the collar""s periphery to receive said fastener.
Preferably at least the inside collar surface that shall be in contact with the object to be protected shall be fitted with an anti-slip cladding and/or with protrusions or salients and/or the collar material shall be at least partly an anti-slip material.
It is understood that a packing structure of the invention may be used at different sites on the cylindrical object to be protected.
However, when protecting the end of a cylindrical object, the collar shall advantageously comprise a substantially right-angle flange to cover the end segment of the object to be protected.
In the latter case, the right-angle flange advantageously shall be fitted with regularly recurring cutouts to allow the flange to bend and according to one embodiment mode, the cutouts of this flange shall be a sequence of isosceles trapezoids, the edge subtended between the collar and its right-angle flange for instance being reinforced by an external rib.
In another embodiment of the invention, the collar comprises a thinner edge opposite its right-angle flange.